Die for forming links



(No Model.)

11. A. IDDINGS.

DIE FOR FORMING. LINKS. No. 286,013. Patented 001;. 2, 1883.

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ATTORNEYS.

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Nirno STATES HENRY 'I DDINGS, OF WARREN, OHIO.

ouz FOR Fosivime LINKS.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 286,013, datcd October2, 1183. Application filed Oeloberill, 1882. (X0 model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it kuownthat ll, HENRY A. lnnmos, of \Varren, in the county ofTrumbull and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement inDies for Forming and \Velding Links, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the form and construction of the upper and lowerdies used for lbrming links, the'object being to facilitate the work andto produce links having greater strength than those heretofore made bythe usual operation.

The invention. consists in lower-dies of peculiar construction andarrangement, and the combination thereof with an anvil that is formed toreceive the dies.

It also consists in means for raising or loosening the dies; and itconsists, further, in upper dies of a form and construction especiallyadapted for use with the lower dies hereinbeioi'e mentioned, all ashereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of"this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ligures.

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 show the anvil and lower dies. Figs. 5, (i, 7,and 8 show the upper dies.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A andA are the lower dies, set in therecessed anvil 1*], which is shown as cut away on one side sufficientlyto show the flange a on theside of the die A. In Fig. 1 the anvil-blockhas the sides of its recess formed as the segment of a circle, while inFig. 2 one side is made partly vertical at 1, and the upper portion isshaped in the segment of a circle.

The dies A A are formed with flanges a on their sides, as shown mostclearly in Figs. 3 and 4, which take into corresponding grooves in theanvil-block, so that as the dies are raised in the block they are forcedopen.

The mandrel or former Z), for the center of the links, is made ofdifferent shapes, as illus trated in Figs. 3 and 4, according to theshape of the metal. that is used for forming thelinks. In the sides ofthe dies are openings 0 c, which allow the admission of tongs forgrasping and handling the links as they are put in or taken out.

d (7, Figs. 1 and 2, are levers fitted transversely in the anvil-blockbeneath the dies, for use in. raising the dies from the block; butthedies may be raised by anylevers or power applianees, as may be foundmost desirable in the several uses to which the dies may be put, andeach die may be raised by its own lever; or one lever may be employed toraise bot-h dies at the same time.

Thenpper dies are shown in Figs. 5108. Fig. 5 is a side view, an edgeview, and a bottom view of the die, the lower portion of which, belowthe shoulder or collar g, is made of the requisite thickness for passingbetween the sides of the lower dies and over and around the outside ofthe link-blank as it lies on the mandrel or link-center. The lower endis cut out or beveled at2, so as to pass more readily outside of thelink and press the blank inward toward thelink-centeror mandrel. Thisform is more especially intended for link blanks having their cut endsbent together, although it may be used upon crooked or U- shapedlink-blanks, and in either case aids in the making of a perfect link.This die is arranged i'or square metal. For round or D- shaped metal,the dieis made as shown in Fig. 6, in which case it is formed with asemicircular groove in the faces of the surfaces, that take upon theoutside of thelink-blank. Fig.

7 shows an upper die of the same form, but

made in two pieces, so that the edges of one side may pass or slide upabove those of the other portion. This construction is in order that alonglap may be given tothe ends of the link-blanks when it is desired tothicken the ends of the links, in order to obtain greater strength atthose points. Fig. Sshows the die made in two parts, as in Fig. 7, andheld in the head of the hammer D.

71 is a wedge, which, when withdrawn from above the die, allows oneportion to rise and assume the position shown in Fig. 7 the wedge beingfitted for operation by means of alever,

B Fig. 8, is a side view, showing the form of the dies when they aremade in two portions, 'and when more strength. is required they will beformed with flanges 7; 76, as shown in the same figure.

The upper dies may be made of any length desired; but for ordinary workthey are preferably made to extend to the bottom of the lower dies.\Vhen they do not extend to the bottom of the lower dies, the latter maybe filled up at the sides to correspond with the length of the upperdies.

By the use of dies constructed and arranged as described, the work offorming and welding links can be readily carried out, and the weldingcan be done more perfectly than by dies such as usually used.

In operation the link blank, after being heated and placed in positionfor welding, will be straightened, and any irregularities that may existwill be removed, and by the same blows of the hammer which bend over theends of a U or press in the sides of an oval-sl1aped link a lap and astove weld is formed. The construction shown allows for an enlargedamount of metal at the weld, and the link is quickly forced to shapewithout change of the dies.

By means of the openings in the dies the finished chain can be morereadily held, and by the use of the split or divided upper dies an extralap can be made at the weld, thereby making the link much stronger.Further, by

using an upper die with the segment at the bottom thrown higher up thanwould be natural in a regular uniformly-shaped link, the links can bemade thicker at their ends, and then, by heating the other end of thelink thus formed and using lower dies with a shorter link-center ormandrel, the other end of the link can be thickened, thereby placingmore Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The lower dies, A A, formed with linkmandrels, substantially as shownand described.

2. The combination of the lower dies, A A, formed with the flanges a,with the recessed anvil E, having grooves, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The combination, with the lower dies, A A, provided with the flangesa, and the re cessed anvil E, having grooves, of means, substantially asshown and described, for raising the dies, as specified.

4. The lower dies, formed with the openings 0 0, to admit tongs forholding a finished link, as specified. V,

5. The upper die, B, centrally slotted, so as to pass around the link,and having the ends of its arms internally beveled at 2, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the upper dies, B, formed with their lower endsbeveled at 2, with the lowerdies, A A, and anvilblock E, substantiallyas described.

HENRY ALFRED IDDINGS. Witnesses:

F. 1* CALDWELL, J. L. I-Innzoe.

